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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. CURTIS.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS. No. 268,629. A Patented; Dec. 5, 1882.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J CURTIS.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS.

Patnted Dec, 5, 1882.

YWWenZ'O'J.

I ingmy improvement.

. UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH CURTIS, OF GENESEO, NEWV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING LOADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,629, dated December 5, 1.882.

Applicationfiled October2l,1882. (No model.)

ment in Apparatus for Transporting Loads;

and I do hereby declare that the following is 'a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of a portion of track, show- Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a car on the track. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and5 are a plan and elevation, respectively, of the ratchet arrangement. Figs. 6, 7, and S are modifications.

7 My improvement relates to tracks of a peculiar construction, consisting of a series of wheels attached to axles, which receive motion by gearing or other means, the car or cars which run thereon having grooves in their bottom which fit over the wheels, as will be fully set forth.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, A A show a series of axles which are mounted in standards B B, and G U are a series of wheels attached to and revolving with the axles. The axles and Wheels are arranged in successive order, and the wheels form acontinuous track upon which run the car or cars D. The car has grooves or slots at a on its under side, which fit over the rims of the wheels, by which means the car is kept on the track; and it will be seen that when the wheels are revolved the car will be carried forwardby means of the frictional contact of the car with the wheels.

E E are long shafts running longitudinally with the track, provided with bevel-gears b b, which engage with corresponding bevel-gears,

- 0 c, on the ends of the axles. These shafts may each be made of long-length where the track is straight, and give equal and uniform revolution to all the axles connected therewith. Where there are curves intermediate short shafts must be used, and motion may be imparted by the bevel-gears before described; and in some instances, where the curves are short, the ends of the axles may be carried beyond and outside of the bearin gs, and gearing of any kind may 7 be used to impart rotary motion. such a curve.

Fig. 7 shows At intervals in the main track are isolated or "cutout sections G. (Shown in the center of Fig. 1.) These cut-out sections form a part of the main track, but include a certain number of the axles and wheels, having aseparate shaft and gearing, by which means this section of the track may be operated or stopped independently of the main track. These sections are used wherever there is a station or wherever it may be necessary to make a stop of the cars. The cars, therefore, coming from the main track onto the cut-out section, can be brought to a stop when on the section, and can be started again at pleasure, and when once run off on the main track they receive motion independent of the cut-out section.

be used in-the return-track in the same man ner as before indicated.

In running onto and off from the cut-out sections it is necessary to graduate the diame= ters of the wheels of the main track adjoining the cut-out section. This is shown in Fig. 1, the wheels 0 O gradually increasing in diameter on each side of the cut-out section till they become of the standard size of the main track. The car in approaching the stoppingpoint is thereioregradually retarded in motion by coming on smaller wheels, and in starting again it gradually increases in motion till it reaches the desired velocity, when the, motion is uniform. It may also be necessary to reduce the size of the wheels at various points in the track where a slower motion is required-for instance, in turning curves.

Since the gearing is such that all the wheels receive uniform rotation,whether large orsmall,

wheels to slip on their axles. For instance, if the car is of such'length that one end rests on a large wheel and the other end on asmall one, the latter must turn to a greater extent than the large one. To obviate any difficulty from this source, all the wheels which are of less diameter than the largest ones are arranged to turn loosely on their axles, and a ratchet arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is employed. The wheel 0 has a ratchet,f, made fast with it. The shaft A has a disk, g, made fast with it, and a pawl, h, pivoted to the disk, engages with the teeth of the'ratchet. The revolution of the'axle gives motion to the wheel through the medium of the ratchet and pawl; but in case the large wheel on which the car rests should propel the car faster than the small one is turned by its axle the wheel will turn independently on the axle by the slipping of the ratchet under the pawl. This effect is produced both in starting and stopping the car. In those portions of the track where the wheels are all of uniform size no ratchets are required.

vVarious modifications may be used. wheels 0 C may lap past each other, as shown in Fig. 8. The axle and wheels may be made in the form ofa spool, as shown in Fig. 6. At curves the outer wheels may be made of larger diameter than the inner ones, as shown in Fig. 7.

The apparatus above described may be used for transporting loads of any kind, either by single cars or'in trains. It is useful in conveyingfreights, and can be utilized on elevated or other roads for passenger traffic.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an apparatus for conveying'loads, the combination of two tracks lying alongside, composed of a series of axles resting in standards and provided with wheels, and a shaft resting longitudinally between the two tracks, provided with gears which engage with gears The out sections, also composed of wheels at-' tached to axles and operated by gearing, the gearing of the cut-out section or sections being independent of and disconnected from that of the main track, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a main track composed of a series of axles and wheels attached thereto, and a cut-out section, also composed of a series of axles with wheels attached thereto, interposed in the main track, the wheels of the main track adjoining the cutout section being of graduated sizes, as herein shown and described.

4. In a track composed of a series of axles, with wheels attached thereto of graduated sizes, the combination, with the wheels turningloosely on the axles, of ratchets attached to thewheels, and disks attached to the axles, and pawls pivoted to the disks, engaging with the ratchets, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

5. In an apparatus for conveying loads, the combination of a track consisting of a series of axles with wheels attached thereto, and a car or cars'provided with grooves or slots in the bottom, open at both ends, fitting upon the rims of the wheels, the car or cars receiving forward motion by the frictional contact with the wheels, as herein shown and-described.

In testimony whereof-I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I JOSIAH CURTIS.

Witnesses:

R. F. OSGOOD, JAooB SPAHN. 

